Szilvia Rálik

Guest of the National Theatre Opera Soprano Szilvia Rálik studied voice and violin at the conservatory in Békécsaba, southeastern Hungary, and at the Music Academy in Szeged. She debuted at the Hungarian National Opera in Budapest, in January 2001 (Wagner: Siegfried), where she was engaged as soloist in 2002. In 2003, she made her debut at the Budapest Spring Festival (Prokofiev: The Fiery Angel). In 2004, she won the Voice of the Year Award; in 2008, the Gundel Award for Outstanding Achievement in Musical Arts; and in 2010, the Prima Award. Her gallery of operatic characters encompasses, among others, the roles of Lady Macbeth (Macbeth), Odabella (Atilla), Abigail (Nabucco), Amelia (Simon Boccanegra), and Desdemona (Otello) in Verdi operas; Bellini’s Norma, Richard Strauss’ Elektra, Salome and Ariadne; Leonora (Beethoven: Fidelio), Elettra (Mozart: Idomeneo), Donna Elvira (Mozart: Don Giovanni), Renata (Prokofiev: The Fiery Angel), Judith (Bartók, Bluebeard’s Castle), Ortrud (Wagner, Lohengrin), Eva (Wagner: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg), Puccini’s Turandot and Tosca, Lisa (Tchaikovsky: The Queen of Spades), or Carmen (Peter Eötvös: Le Balcon). As Desdemona, she has previously sung opposite José Cura. Also figuring in her repertoire is a number of operetta roles, including those of Maritza (Emerich Kálmán: Gräfin Maritza), Fedora (Kálmán: Die Zirkusprinzessin), Sylvia (Kálmán: Die Csardasfürstin), Zorika and Ilona (Franz Lehár: Zigeunerliebe), and others. She has toured in Hungary, Germany, Austria, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. In the Czech Republic, she has appeared at the National Opera in Brno (as Turandot, and as Abigail in Nabucco) and at the State Opera Prague (Desdemona and Tosca). Update: October 2011